2014-006 - Santa Ana General Plan Housing Element and Public Safety Element Updates

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HOUSING NEEDS HOUSING NEEDS The City of Santa Ana has a wide range of housing needs related to the production of new housing, rehabilitation, and preservation of housing. This section provides a summary of these needs in Santa Ana. HOUSING PRODUCTION NEEDS State law requires cities to plan to accommodate population and employment growth through implementing housing programs. The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) prepares housing construction needs goals for each city in Southern California as part of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA). All local governments are required to set aside sufficient land, adopt programs, and provide funding, to the extent feasible, to facilitate and encourage housing production commensurate with that need. Santa Ana's RHNA for the 2014 -2021 planning period is 204 new housing units divided into four household income /affordability groups (Table A -10). 2006 -2014 RHNA In accordance with state law, this housing element also addresses the RHNA that was not accommodated through rezoning in the previous planning period (January 1, 2006, to June 30, 2014). The City has a remaining RHNA balance of 201 lower income units (111 very low and 90 low based on the 2006 -2014 distribution ratio). These 201 units must be accommodated through land rezoned exclusively for residential development. A discussion of the carryover RHNA is provided in Appendix C, Housing Resources. The City's carryover and combined RHNA is also provided in Table A -11. Population and Job Growth The first component of the RHNA is the number of units needed to accommodate projected growth in both households and employment levels. The household growth component is determined by calculating the expected population growth that will occur during the planning period. According to the 2010 Orange County Projections, the City of Santa Ana is expected to increase in population by approximately 13,000 residents from 2010 to 2020 but then decrease in population by 900 residents between 2020 and 2035. Areas in Santa Ana that will accommodate new housing include the Harbor Mixed Use Transit Corridor Specific Plan area, Metro East, City Place, and other infill sites. Santa Ana's employment opportunities have been declining; the 2010 Orange County Projections estimate that the City will lose about 2,000 jobs between 2010 and 2020. However, the local employment base is expected to begin growing again toward the end of the decade. Employment opportunities are expected to increase by about 3,400 jobs from 2020 to 2035. CITY OF SANTA ANA GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT A -33